remember the summer of 2011, when president obama was perceived, and they believed at the white house, that he kept making concession after concession and didn't get anywhere. they are definitely not doing that now. >> well, the election had to inform how they came out so strongly basically said, this is the deal. and legislators are saying we're not giving on medicare or the spending cuts either. >> what people are forgetting is there is already a deal. this thing we call the fiscal cliff is a law that republicans voted for and that the president steered them to vote for. and strategically, he was victorious in that. the theory of this thing was, no one wants it to happen. no one wants anything in this bill to happen. the rates to go up or all the spending cuts. but it turns out that the democrats and the president like more of what would happen on january 1 than republicans. >> do you know who agrees with you? rick santorum. i spoke to him on press pass and this is what he said. and newt gingrich, you respond after you hear this. >> the greatest leverage he has is that he put togeth